A million-dollar math problem may just be the beginning for OpenAI

Two mathematicians, 10,000 AI agents and a million-dollar prize are all part of yet more AI drama this week, with heated back-and-forth over allegations of stolen work and academic malpractice.

But despite the controversy, some experts say it's indicative of the unmistakable force of artificial intelligence in helping break through sticky problems. To others, it misses the point of academic research and careful human collaboration. 

So what happened in the world of pure mathematics this week and why is it controversial? 

The claim

On Tuesday, OpenAI said it had solved a legendary problem in mathematics involving the Navier-Stokes equations. 

Easier said than explained, the equations describe how fluids — including gases and liquids — move and change over time. As equations do, they give us a way to try to predict what will happen if you plug in the variables. The issue — and why this is one of the famed Millennium Prize Problems that come with a million-dollar award if a solution is verified — is not knowing exactly whether the math can blow up and produce physically impossible results. 

"It's a very deep mystery," said Ravi Vakil, mathematics professor at Stanford University. "It seems this huge thing that's out of reach, like this mountain you see in the distance, and the question is: can we get there?"